SPORT - The Peninsula · 12/10/2019 · al sadd’s players taking part in a training session...
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SPORT PAGE | 09 PAGE | 11 Sri Lanka begin first Pakistan Test tour in a decade Lionel Messi out but coach Conte expects Inter to suffer Tuesday 10 December 2019 CLUB WORLD CUP 2019 QATAR: PARTICIPATING TEAMS COUNTRY-TEAM CONFEDERATION QUALIFICATION PARTICIPATION Entering in the semi-finals Brazil-Flamengo CONMEBOL 2019 Copa Libertadores champions 1st England-Liverpool UEFA 2018–19 UEFA Champions League champions 2nd (Previous: 2005) Entering in the second round Saudi Arabia-Al Hilal AFC 2019 AFC Champions League champions 1st Tunisia-Espérance de Tunis CAF 2018–19 CAF Champions League champions 3rd (Previous: 2011, 2018) Mexico-Monterrey CONCACAF 2019 CONCACAF Champions League champions 4th (Previous: 2011, 2012, 2013) Entering in the first round New Caledonia-Hienghène Sport OFC 2019 OFC Champions League champions 1st Qatar-Al Sadd AFC (Hosts) 2018–19 QNB Stars League champions 2nd (Previous: 2011) A new name on the trophy For the first time since Real Madrid liſted the title in 2014, we will see a new name on the Club World Cup. Nine sides have tasted victory, who will be number 10? Roll of honour Real Madrid (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018) Barcelona (2009, 2011, 2015) Corinthians (2000, 2012) Bayern Munich (2013) Inter Milan (2010) Manchester United (2008) AC Milan (2007) Internacional (2006) Sao Paulo (2005) Al Sadd return to Club World Cup fold with eye on Hienghene Sport THE PENINSULA DOHA Al Sadd and their coach Xavi Hernandez are set to return to FIFA Club World Cup fold tomorrow when they meet Hienghene Sport in the opening match of the seven-team event. Al Sadd last played the FIFA Club World Cup in 2011 when - coached by Jorge Fossati - the Doha giants finished third behind Barcelona and Santos of Brazil. Xavi, a two-time winner of the event with Barcelona, is now on the touchline with Al Sadd with whom he played a couple of seasons before taking over as coach at the start of the 2019-20 season. Having been eliminated at the semi- final stage of the AFC Champions League in October by eventual champions Al Hilal, Al Sadd were not going to be robbed of their place at the finals at the December 11-21 event. The Qatari club had already qualified for the event as hosts having emerged QNB Stars League Champions last season. The home side must be feeling con- fident following the return of the national team players after the end of the Gulf Cup. National team captain Hassan Al Haydos, Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif, star goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb and key defender Abdelkarim Hassan will join feared striker Baghdad Bounedjah, play- maker Gabi and Bualem Khoukhi. On the other hand, Al Sadd’s rivals at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Hienghene Sport were the first visiting side to land in Qatar, having travelled 13,000km from New Caledonia to represent Oceania as OFC Champions League winners. The club are just 22 years old and were crowned continental champions in only their second appearance in the tour- nament, seeing them spring onto the global stage as the first non-New Zealand side to represent the OFC since 2010. They’re going to savour every moment. Meanwhile, Monterrey and ES Tunis are serial regulars, but are yet to clinch the final spot they both yearn. Together they’ve made it to the finals seven times since 2011 – will this year be the one where it all comes together? Arab giants Al Hilal may have finished top of the pile for the third time in Asia – with this being their first time they have hoisted the AFC Champions League aloft since it began in 2002 – but Saudi Arabia’s most successful club are set to take their opening bow at the Club World Cup. Meanwhile, Liverpool and Flamengo command two of the biggest fanbases on the planet, with both used to seeing passionate supporters fill their respective and hallowed cathedrals of football. The duo will land in Qatar as Europe and South America’s best, honours that place them as favourites – with the trophy yet to reside outside either continent. They arrive fitting of their monikers, with both sides in scintillating form. While Flamengo are fresh from being crowned Brazilian champions, suffering just one defeat since August, Liverpool at present sit eight points clear at the top of the Premier League, without defeat in the competition since January. With attacking prowess and intensity high on both of their talented rosters, the likes of Mohamed Salah, Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa, Virgil van Dijk and Bruno Hen- rique will be certain to entertain the global audience. On December 21, the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 will climax with one of them hoisting the trophy after eight games pitting the best the planet has to offer. Who will it be? Stay tuned! SQUAD: GOALKEEPERS: Saad Al Sheeb, Meshaal Barsham, Yousef Abdullah DEFENDERS: Pedro Miguel, Abdelkarim Hassan, Tarek Salman, Hamid Khaleefa, Boualem Khoukhi, Hussain Bahzad, Yasir Isa MIDFIELDERS: Jung Wooyoung, Ali Assadalla, Gabi, Salem Al Hajri, Moustafa Tarek, Faisal Mohammad FORWARDS: Abdulaziz Rashid Al Ansari, Hassan Al Haydos Baghdad Bounedjah, Nam Tae-Hee, Hashim Ali, Akram Afif, Rami Suhail COACH: Xavier Hernandez FIXTURES PLAY-OFF ROUND Tomorrow: Al Sadd vs Hienghene Sport 8:30pm at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium QUARTER-FINALS December 14: Play-off winner vs Monterrey 8:30pm at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium December 14: Al-Hilal vs Esperance de Tunis 5.00pm at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Fiſth-place play-off December 17: QF 1 Loser vs QF 2 Loser 5:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium SEMI-FINALS December 17: QF 1 Winner vs Flamengo 8:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium December 18: QF 2 Winner vs Liverpool 8:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF December 21: SF 1 Loser vs SF 2 Loser 5:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium FINAL December 21: SF 1 Winner vs SF 2 Winner 8:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium Al Sadd’s players taking part in a training session ahead of their opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2019 match against Hienghène Sport which will be played at their home ground, tomorrow. RIGHT: Coach Xavi Hernandez looks on during the training session. PICTURE: TWITTER / @ALSADDSC CONCACAF Champions, Monterrey players posing for a photograph with the Mexican Ambassador to Qatar H E Graciela Gómez García upon their arrival in Doha, yesterday. PICTURE: TWITTER / @RAYADOS Hienghène Sport players and officials
Transcript of SPORT - The Peninsula · 12/10/2019 · al sadd’s players taking part in a training session...
SPORTPAGE | 09 PAGE | 11
Sri Lanka begin first Pakistan
Test tour in a decade
Lionel Messi out but coach Conte expects Inter to suffer
Tuesday 10 December 2019
Club World Cup 2019 Qatar: partiCipating teamsCountry-team Confederation QualifiCation partiCipationEntering in the semi-finalsBrazil-Flamengo CONMEBOL 2019 Copa Libertadores champions 1stEngland-Liverpool UEFA 2018–19 UEFA Champions League champions 2nd (Previous: 2005)Entering in the second roundSaudi Arabia-Al Hilal AFC 2019 AFC Champions League champions 1stTunisia-Espérance de Tunis CAF 2018–19 CAF Champions League champions 3rd (Previous: 2011, 2018)Mexico-Monterrey CONCACAF 2019 CONCACAF Champions League champions 4th (Previous: 2011, 2012, 2013)Entering in the first roundNew Caledonia-Hienghène Sport OFC 2019 OFC Champions League champions 1stQatar-Al Sadd AFC (Hosts) 2018–19 QNB Stars League champions 2nd (Previous: 2011)
A new name on the trophyFor the first time since Real Madrid lifted the title in 2014, we will see a new name on the Club World Cup.
Nine sides have tasted victory, who will be number 10?
Roll of honourReal Madrid (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)Barcelona (2009, 2011, 2015)Corinthians (2000, 2012)Bayern Munich (2013)Inter Milan (2010)Manchester United (2008)AC Milan (2007)Internacional (2006)Sao Paulo (2005)
Al Sadd return to Club World Cup fold with eye on Hienghene SportThe PeNiNsula Doha
Al Sadd and their coach Xavi Hernandez are set to return to FIFA Club World Cup fold tomorrow when they meet Hienghene Sport in the opening match of the seven-team event.
Al Sadd last played the FIFA Club World Cup in 2011 when - coached by Jorge Fossati - the Doha giants finished third behind Barcelona and Santos of Brazil.
Xavi, a two-time winner of the event with Barcelona, is now on the touchline with Al Sadd with whom he played a couple of seasons before taking over as coach at the start of the 2019-20 season.
Having been eliminated at the semi-final stage of the AFC Champions League in October by eventual champions Al Hilal, Al Sadd were not going to be robbed of their place at the finals at the December 11-21 event. The Qatari club had already qualified for the event as hosts having emerged QNB Stars League Champions last season.
The home side must be feeling con-fident following the return of the national team players after the end of the Gulf Cup.
National team captain Hassan Al Haydos, Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif, star goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb and key defender Abdelkarim Hassan will join feared striker Baghdad Bounedjah, play-maker Gabi and Bualem Khoukhi.
On the other hand, Al Sadd’s rivals at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Hienghene Sport were the first visiting side to land in Qatar, having travelled 13,000km from New Caledonia to represent Oceania as OFC Champions League winners.
The club are just 22 years old and were crowned continental champions in only their second appearance in the tour-nament, seeing them spring onto the global stage as the first non-New Zealand side to represent the OFC since 2010. They’re going to savour every moment.
Meanwhile, Monterrey and ES Tunis are serial regulars, but are yet to clinch the final spot they both yearn. Together they’ve made it to the finals seven times since 2011 – will this year be the one where it all comes together?
Arab giants Al Hilal may have finished top of the pile for the third time in Asia – with this being their first time they have hoisted the AFC Champions League aloft since it began in 2002 – but Saudi Arabia’s most successful club are set to take their opening bow at the Club World Cup.
Meanwhile, Liverpool and Flamengo command two of the biggest fanbases on the planet, with both used to seeing passionate supporters fill their respective and hallowed cathedrals of football. The duo will land in Qatar as Europe and South America’s best, honours that place them as favourites – with the trophy yet to reside outside either continent.
They arrive fitting of their monikers, with both sides in scintillating form. While Flamengo are fresh from being crowned Brazilian champions, suffering just one defeat since August, Liverpool at present sit eight points clear at the top of the Premier League, without defeat in the competition since January.
With attacking prowess and intensity high on both of their talented rosters, the likes of Mohamed Salah, Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa, Virgil van Dijk and Bruno Hen-rique will be certain to entertain the global audience.
On December 21, the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 will climax with one of them hoisting the trophy after eight games pitting the best the planet has to offer.
Who will it be? Stay tuned!
SQUAD:GoAlkEEpErS: Saad Al Sheeb, Meshaal Barsham, Yousef AbdullahDEfEnDErS: Pedro Miguel, Abdelkarim Hassan, Tarek Salman, Hamid Khaleefa, Boualem Khoukhi, Hussain Bahzad, Yasir IsaMiDfiElDErS: Jung Wooyoung, Ali Assadalla, Gabi, Salem Al Hajri, Moustafa Tarek, Faisal Mohammad
forwArDS: Abdulaziz Rashid Al Ansari, Hassan Al HaydosBaghdad Bounedjah, Nam Tae-Hee, Hashim Ali, Akram Afif, Rami SuhailCoACh: Xavier Hernandez
FIxTURES plAy-off roUnDTomorrow: Al Sadd vs Hienghene Sport8:30pm at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
QUArtEr-finAlSDecember 14: Play-off winner vs Monterrey8:30pm at Jassim bin Hamad StadiumDecember 14: Al-Hilal vs Esperance de Tunis5.00pm at Jassim bin Hamad StadiumFifth-place play-offDecember 17: QF 1 Loser vs QF 2 Loser5:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium
SEMi-finAlSDecember 17: QF 1 Winner vs Flamengo8:30pm at Khalifa International StadiumDecember 18: QF 2 Winner vs Liverpool8:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium
thirD-plACE plAy-offDecember 21: SF 1 Loser vs SF 2 Loser5:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium
finAlDecember 21: SF 1 Winner vs SF 2 Winner8:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium
al sadd’s players taking part in a training session ahead of their opening match of the FiFa Club World Cup 2019 match against hienghène sport which will be played at their home ground, tomorrow. RiGhT: Coach Xavi hernandez looks on during the training session. Picture: twitter / @aLSaDDSc
CONCaCaF Champions, Monterrey players posing for a photograph with the Mexican ambassador to Qatar h e Graciela Gómez García upon their arrival in Doha, yesterday. Picture: twitter / @rayaDoS
hienghène sport players and officials
